UJoshuwa 8
1 UThixo wathi kuJoshuwa, “Ungesabi, ungalahli ithemba. Thatha ibutho lonke uhambe uyehlasela i-Ayi, ngoba senginikele inkosi yase-Ayi, abantu bayo, idolobho layo lelizwe layo ezandleni zakho.
And the LORD said to Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:
2 Khonale uzakwenza owakwenza eJerikho lenkosini yakhona, kodwa lingazithathela impahla zonke eliyabe lizithumbile lezifuyo kube ngokwenu. Cathamani ngemva kwedolobho.”
And thou shalt do to Ai and her king, as thou didst to Jericho and her king: only its spoil, and its cattle, shall ye take for a prey to yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.
3 Ngakho uJoshuwa lebutho lonke baphuma bayahlasela i-Ayi. Wakhetha amabutho azinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu ayezingcitshi ukwedlula amanye ekulweni, wasewathuma ebusuku.
So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valor, and sent them away by night.
4 Wawalaya wathi, “Lalelisisani, kumele licathame ngemva kwedolobho. Lingaze laya khatshana lalo. Lonke kumele lihlale liqaphele.
And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, [even] behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready:
5 Mina lalabo engizabe ngilabo sizaqhubeka siqonde edolobheni, kuthi nxa amadoda ephuma ukusihlasela njengalokho akwenza kuqala, sizawabalekela.
And I, and all the people that [are] with me, will approach to the city: and it shall come to pass when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them,
6 Bazaxotshana lathi size sibahugele khatshana ledolobho, ngoba bazakuthi, ‘Bayasibalekela njengalokhu abakwenza kuqala.’ Ngakho nxa sesibabalekela,
(For they will come out after us) till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: therefore we will flee before them.
7 lina lizavuka lapho eliyabe licathame khona beselithumba idolobho. UThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uzalinikela ezandleni zenu.
Then ye shall rise from the ambush and seize upon the city: for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand,
8 Nxa selilithumbile idolobho, lithungeleni ngomlilo. Yenzani lokho okulaywe nguThixo. Wobani leqiniso lokuthi lilandela iziqondiso zami.”
And it shall be when ye have taken the city, [that] ye shall set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the LORD shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.
9 UJoshuwa wasebalaya ukuthi bahambe, basebesiya endaweni okwakumele bacathame kuyo phakathi kweBhetheli le-Ayi, entshonalanga ye-Ayi kodwa uJoshuwa waqeda ubusuku lobo elabantu.
Joshua therefore sent them forth; and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people.
10 Ekuseni ngelanga elilandelayo uJoshuwa waqoqa amabutho akhe, kwathi yena labadala bako-Israyeli bahamba phambi kwabo besiya e-Ayi.
And Joshua rose early in the morning, and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.
11 Iviyo lonke lalabo ayelabo lahamba laya edolobheni lafika lema phambi kwabo. Bamisa izihonqo enyakatho ye-Ayi, isigodi siphakathi kwabo ledolobho.
And all the people, [even the people] of war that [were] with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and pitched on the north side of Ai: now [there was] a valley between them and Ai.
12 UJoshuwa wayethethe amadoda aphosa afike kunkulungwane ezinhlanu wawacathamisa phakathi kweBhetheli le-Ayi entshonalanga yedolobho.
And he took about five thousand men; and set them to lie in ambush between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of the city.
13 Benza ukuthi amabutho aye ezikhundleni zawo zonke ezaziphakathi kwezihonqo enyakatho yedolobho lendaweni yokucathamela eyayisentshonalanga yalo. Ngalobobusuku uJoshuwa waya esigodini.
And when they had set the people, [even] all the host that [was] on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
14 Inkosi yase-Ayi yathi ibona lokhu yona lawo wonke amadoda akulelodolobho aphanga aphuma kusesele ekuseni ukuze ayehlangana lo-Israyeli empini kweyinye indawo ekhangelane le-Arabha. Kodwa yayingazi ukuthi kwakulamabutho ayeyicathamele ngemva kwedolobho.
And it came to pass when the king of Ai saw [it], that they hasted and rose early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain: but he knew not that [there were] liers in ambush against him behind the city.
15 UJoshuwa labantu bonke bako-Israyeli bathambela ukubuyiselwa emuva, babalekela enkangala.
And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
16 Wonke amadoda e-Ayi atshelwa ukuthi abaxotshe, basebexotshana loJoshuwa badonselwa khatshana ledolobho.
And all the people that [were] in Ai were called together to pursue them: and they pursued Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.
17 Kakukho lendoda eyodwa eyasala e-Ayi kumbe eBhetheli engazanga ixotshane labako-Israyeli.
And there was not a man left in Ai, or Beth-el that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued Israel.
18 UThixo wasesithi kuJoshuwa, “Phakamisa umkhonto osesandleni ukhombe e-Ayi, ngenxa yokuthi idolobho leli ngizalinikela ezandleni zakho.” Ngakho uJoshuwa wakhombela e-Ayi ngomkhonto wakhe.
And the LORD said to Joshua, Stretch out the spear that [is] in thy hand towards Ai; for I will give it into thy hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that [he had] in his hand towards the city.
19 Wathi esanda kwenza lokhu, amadoda ayecathamele ukuhlasela aphakama masinyane ezindaweni ayekuzo agijimela phambili. Angena edolobheni alithumba, aphanga alithungela ngomlilo.
And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand: and they entered into the city, and took it, and hasted, and set the city on fire.
20 Amadoda e-Ayi anyemukula abona intuthu eyayisuka edolobheni iqonga emayezini kodwa aswela ukuthi azabalekela ngaphi ngoba abako-Israyeli ababebalekele enkangala basebephendukele labo ababebaxotsha.
And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.
21 Kwathi uJoshuwa labako-Israyeli bonke bebona ukuthi labo ababecatheme basebethumbe idolobho lokuthi intuthu yayiqonga emayezini ivela edolobheni, batshibilika baqalisa ukuhlasela amadoda ase-Ayi.
And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again and slew the men of Ai.
22 Amadoda ayecatheme lawo aphuma edolobheni abahlasela, okwenza ukuthi babe phakathi laphakathi, inxa zombili zilabako-Israyeli. Abako-Israyeli babatshaya bababhuqa akwaze kwasala muntu owaphunyukayo.
And the other issued out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side: and they smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.
23 Kodwa bathatha inkosi yase-Ayi iphila basebeyiletha kuJoshuwa.
And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.
24 Kwathi abako-Israyeli sebeqedile ukubulala wonke amadoda ase-Ayi emagcekeni enkangala lapho ababewaxotshele khona, njalo wonke esegwazwe ngenkemba, bonke abako-Israyeli babuyela e-Ayi babulala abantu bonke abakulelo dolobho.
And it came to pass when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness in which they chased them, and when they had all fallen on the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned to Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword.
25 Amadoda labesifazane abazinkulungwane ezilitshumi lambili bafa ngalelolanga, bonke kungabantu be-Ayi,
And [so] it was, [that] all that fell that day, both of men and women, [were] twelve thousand, [even] all the men of Ai.
26 ngoba uJoshuwa kazange ehlise isandla sakhe esiphethe umkhonto ngawo baze babhujiswa bonke abantu ababehlala e-Ayi.
For Joshua drew not his hand back with which he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.
27 Kodwa abako-Israyeli bathatha zonke izifuyo lempango yonke eyayithunjwe kulelodolobho njengokulaywa kukaJoshuwa nguThixo.
Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey to themselves, according to the word of the LORD which he commanded Joshua.
28 UJoshuwa watshisa i-Ayi wayenza yaba lunxiwa oluyinqwaba, indawo engelakuhlalwa muntu kuze kube lamhlanje.
And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it a heap for ever, [even] a desolation to this day.
29 Walengisa inkosi yase-Ayi esigodweni wayitshiya kwaze kwaba ntambama. Ekutshoneni kwelanga uJoshuwa walaya ukuthi bethule isidumbu sayo basiphosele esangweni ledolobho. Babuthelela inqumbi yamatshe phezu kwaso, njalo lokhu kunjalo kuze kube lamhlanje.
And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until evening: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcass down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise upon it a great heap of stones, [that remaineth] to this day.
30 UJoshuwa wasesakhela uThixo, uNkulunkulu wako-Israyeli i-alithari e-Ebhali.
Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal,
31 Njengokulaya okwenziwa nguMosi inceku kaThixo kwabako-Israyeli, walakha njengokulaywa okulotshwe eNcwadini yoMthetho kaMosi i-alithari lamatshe angabazwanga, okungazanga kusetshenziswe nsimbi phezu kwawo. Kulo banikela kuThixo iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yokuthula.
As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lifted up [any] iron: and they offered upon it burnt-offerings to the LORD, and sacrificed peace-offerings.
32 Lapho, phambi kwabako-Israyeli uJoshuwa waloba ematsheni umthetho kaMosi ayewubhalile.
And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.
33 Bonke abako-Israyeli, abezizweni labayinzalo yalelolizwe, labadala babo, iziphathamandla labahluleli babemi emaceleni womabili omtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo bekhangelane lalabo ababelithwele, abaphristi, ababengabaLevi. Ingxenye yabantu yema phambi kwentaba yeGerizimu kwathi eyinye ingxenye yema phambi kwentaba ye-Ebhali, njengokulaya kukaMosi inceku kaThixo owayelaye ukuthi kubusiswe abantu bako-Israyeli.
And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side of the ark, and on that side, before the priests the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.
34 Emva kwalokho uJoshuwa wafunda wonke amazwi omthetho, izibusiso leziqalekiso, njengokulotshwa okwenziwe eNcwadini yeMithetho.
And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law.
35 Kakulalizwi elalaywa nguMosi elingazanga lifundwe nguJoshuwa phambi kombuthano wonke wako-Israyeli kugoqela abesifazane labantwana labezizweni ababehlala phakathi kwabo.
There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.
